MIFA Central German Bicycle Factory

The Sachsenring Bike Manufaktur GmbH, known primarily by its former name MIFA Mitteldeutsche Fahrradwerke, is a German bicycle manufacturer located in Sangerhausen. In addition to its own name, the company uses the brand names “BIRIA”, “GRACE”, “JUNG”, “Steppenwolf”, “VAUN”, and “Zündapp”.

The company, founded in 1907, gained significant recognition in the 1920s through successes in bicycle racing. During both World Wars, the company completely shifted from bicycles to armaments. After the end of World War II, bicycle production was resumed by the bicycle works Mifa of the Soviet Joint Stock Company “Awtowelo”, from which the VEB MIFA-Werk Sangerhausen emerged in 1950. From the founding of the German Democratic Republic until the takeover by the Treuhandanstalt in 1990, more than nine million bicycles were delivered, of which about 1.5 million were the colloquially known “Minirad” folding bicycles. However, the business, continued under the abbreviation MDF from 1990, was not competitive in the global market. A restart in 1993 following the acquisition of machines and inventories by two investors from Switzerland failed after two years as Fahrradtechnik Sangerhausen GmbH.

Wikipedia